Protestants, Catholics Join in Celebration of Israel’s Anniversary

April 10, 1958

NEW YORK (Apr. 9)

The Protestant and Catholic churches will join in the celebration of Israel’s 10th anniversary in New York which will be held at the Polo Grounds on April 27. More than 50, 000 New Yorkers are expected to attend the event.

The spokesman for the Protestant faith will be Dr. Edwin T. Dahlberg, president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in America; Msgr. John A. Dunne, vice chancellor of the Military Ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church, will represent Francis Cardinal Spellman; General Moshe Dayan, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Army, and Israel Ambassador Abba Eban, will represent the State of Israel at the celebration. General Dayan is flying here from Israel especially to participate in the Polo Grounds anniversary program.

Fifteen major Jewish organizations have joined in the sponsorship of the affair. They include American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, the Metropolitan Council of B’nai B’rith, B’nai Zion,Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, Labor Zionist Organization, Mizrachi Women’s Organization, Pioneer Women, Farband, Religious Zionists of America, United Labor Zionist Party, Women’s League for Israel, Young Israel, and the Zionist Organization of America.

The free film library of the United Israel Appeal, the largest distributor of Israel films in the United States, will assist all Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, community centers, schools, youth clubs and other groups in programming special events for Israel’s Tenth Anniversary Year, it was announced here today. All films distributed by the United Israel Appeal are 16 mm sound. To meet individual program needs, groups can select films ranging from 15 minute shorts to one-hour features.

The UIA’s film library offers a wide variety of pictures on every aspect of life in Israel, including immigration and absorption of the new immigrants, farming communities, science, the reclamation of the Negev and life in the country’s major cities. Also available are travelogues, newsreels and human interest features.